


you try to conquer me

by orphan_account



Series: you try to conquer me [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Body Modification, Cages, Collars, Dehumanization, Eventual Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Experiment Keith, Experiments, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gore, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) Whump, Mad Scientists, Medical Procedures, Muzzles, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Prisoner Keith (Voltron), Restraints, Slavery, Space Pirates, Surgery, Violence, Whump, but for once I have, implied slave trade, medical gore, please heed these warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:46:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23359474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Keith sits curled up as tight as he can manage, his feet and hands stinging as the echoes of his captor's laugh ring in his ears. The cage he's locked in is small and cramped, and the muzzle clamped tight around his face makes breathing an even harder task.He doesn't want to admit it, but he's terrified.And there's no one coming to save him.
Relationships: Allura & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro
Series: you try to conquer me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722634
Comments: 13
Kudos: 178





	you try to conquer me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunshinehime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehime/gifts).



> sunshinehime requested a hurt/comfort fic with Keith, so here it is!
> 
> Gotta say there's a lot more hurt & whump than comfort, and probably not quite the level of recovery you asked for? Still, I hope you like this!
> 
> As always please heed the warnings in the tags.

Keith sits curled up as tight as he can manage, his feet and hands stinging as the echoes of his captor's laugh ring in his ears. The cage he's locked in is small and cramped, and the muzzle clamped tight around his face makes breathing an even harder task.

He doesn't want to admit it, but he's _terrified_. 

And there's no one coming to save him.

* * *

It started off as a simple task, as all things do. Keith was on a solo mission for the Blades, to infiltrate one of the smaller Imperial base ships and collect intel on their patrol routes. Supposed to just be in and out, minimal risk.

Of course, the ship Kolivan had assigned him to just had to be one that a rowdy team of space pirates had decided to attack and raid, just as Keith was completing his mission. They attacked with fury, but oddly, most the weapons were set to stun. Keith stayed out of the way, trying to make his way back to his ship without alerting either the pirates or the other galra. 

Unfortunately, the pirates had quite advanced technology, and they detected his heat signature. One abruptly turned and fired in quick succession; Keith was fast, but not fast enough. A lucky shot to the leg, and the numbness quickly spread through his body, loosening his grip on the beam and sending him tumbling to the ground, his head smacking into the metal mercilessly. 

"What have we here?" a pirate sneered, roughly shoving Keith's hood back, "A spy?" 

"It's a half-breed," another pirate commented.

The first grabbed Keith's cheeks and twisted his head back and forth, the small motion making the dizziness in Keith's mind all the more prevalent.

"So it is. Perfect," they grinned, "Than will be most pleased." They released Keith, and he fell back again, his muscles completely limp thanks to the stun blast.

"Get this one secured with the others! I suspect Than will pay us well for it."

Keith couldn't even protest as the alien pirates bound his hands behind his back and dragged him to their ship, roughly shoving him in a holding cell with four other galra. They were all rather scrawny, and looked quite young, too. Techs and apprentices, he guessed.

_Maybe Voltron has taken down so many galra they're now having to employ their young?_

The thought made Keith sick, and he focused instead on trying to regain feeling and movement in his limbs. As soon as the numbness turned to a painful tingling, he backed into a corner, wanting to keep away from the others as well as laying low to hatch a plan. So, he was captured, and not by the galra. Rather some space pirates, and their leader was someone called... Than? 

Keith shifted his position slightly, and was pleased to feel the knife still in his belt, so far undetected by the pirates. With his hands tied as they were, he couldn't quite reach, but he was confident the opportunity would arise. 

After all, he'd broken out of situations like this before. 

_Yes, but you had the paladins with you. You were never completely alone._

Keith ignored that little voice. 

He half expected for the other galra to accuse him of being a traitor or something, but they didn't seem to take notice of him. Rather, they seemed in quite a panic, and Keith started to suspect they knew a lot more about this Than person.

Still, he wasn't going to panic, too. No point in that. Sure, his head was throbbing, but it wasn't quite a concussion, and he was still armed. 

He could get out of there. 

* * *

The pirates didn't come for them for a little while, and Keith started to doze a couple of times, before he forced himself awake again, not wanting to be caught off guard. Eventually, the door unlocked, and Keith immediately stood, though still kept back against the wall.

Two of the pirates entered, both holding large guns, but it was the figure between them that caught Keith's attention. They looked a little like an Olkari, but was much broader and taller, arms rippling with muscle, eyes small and glinting with malice. 

One of the galra whimpered. 

"A nice selection. You have done well," they praised, the voice heavy and masculine. 

"We caught you a half-breed, too," one of the pirates piped up. 

"A half-breed?" His eyes darted through the cell, something lighting within them as he spied Keith. "Ah, quite a young one, too. It will be absolutely perfect. Bring it to my ship immediately. I will play with the others later." He turned abruptly and stormed off, then the pirates grabbed at Keith. 

He waited until they were outside the cell before he attacked, digging in his heels and tearing himself from their grip, before kicking out at them. The motion caused his knife to slip, and he managed to grab it, slicing through his robe bonds and bringing his weapon up in a defensive stance, to block the pirate's retaliation. A swift slash at their legs, and Keith ran, adrenaline pounding through his veins, keeping him going. The ship was certainly unfamiliar, but if he could just make it to a hangar-

He rounded the corner, and smacked into the bulk of the man from earlier. Stumbling, Keith backed up, but the man grabbed his neck and lifted him up. 

"A fighter, aren't you? And one of those spies, by the look of your uniform. I haven't dealt with one of you yet, so we will have a lot of fun. Tell me, what is your other species, little one?"

Keith just glared, the pressure on his throat preventing him from breathing, let alone replying. 

Just as his vision started to go black, he was released, and to his shame doubled over on the ground at the man's feet, gasping in air.  
Whilst he was vulnerable, the man fastened thick metal cuffs around his wrists, that secured together in front of him, this time, a chain linking them together ending up in the man's thick hands. He then hauled Keith to his feet, and took his blade away. 

"Come along, now. I have plenty in store for you," he grinned. 

Keith dug his heels in and growled, "I won't come nicely. You better let me go, or there will be consequences."

The man laughed. "Such fire! Of course, there will be consequences...for you, not me." He tugged on the chain, forcing Keith forwards, and dragged him all the way onto a small shuttle. 

"New toy, Than?" the pilot, who looked at lot like Nyma, remarked as they boarded. 

"Indeed." The man - who Keith assumed was Than - grinned down at him again, and kept a tight hold on the chain as the shuttle departed. Keith glared at him and desperately tried to think of a plan, but the journey was far too short, and soon Than was dragging him along again, down the ramp and through a different, even larger ship. Keith tried to keep track of where they were going, but all the corridors were the same jade green colour, and after ten twists and turns, he lost count. 

Than eventually halted in front of a rather sinister looking set of black doors, which opened at his touch. 

"Welcome to my playground," he said, dragging Keith in.

Keith's heart sank: it was a lab.

Shelves full of various bottles and equipment lined the walls either side, and a large metal slab was in the centre, surrounded by even more equipment. Keith struggled more as he was pulled towards what seemed to be an operating table, but Than simply grabbed his neck and carried him that way, easily throwing Keith down onto the table. 

He had barely taken in a shaky breath before Than clamped his wrists and ankles down to the metal, securing him there spread-eagled. 

"What do you want with me?" Keith yelled, hating how his voice shook. 

Than stroked his cheek, and Keith shuddered beneath the touch. "I'm a scientist, little one. My job is to take young, broken creatures like yourself and turn them into something much more...delightful."

Keith sickened. "What do you mean?" 

Than turned to one of his assistances. "Fetch the newest, would you?" 

The assistant nodded, and exited through a side door, coming back with somebody else in tow. It was a galra, but like none Keith had ever seen. They crawled along beside the assistant, head bowed, large, fluffy ears twitching at the slightest sound. They were almost entirely naked, save a jewelled collar round their neck, and a thin pair of silken shorts.

"Look at it," Than crooned, "It is so perfect."

"What did you do?" Keith hissed, horrified. 

"Well, the galra are so set on conquering the universe, I thought it would be fun to conquer them. And look, how one from a warrior race can be reduced to a docile little creature! It's poetic, somehow."

Than's blazing eyes turned back to Keith. 

"And you will be the next that I conquer."

* * *

What transpired next was nothing short of blistering agony.

Keith had strained against the restraints, yelled his protests, tried to bite Than when he came too close, but all that got him was a painful muzzle, that silenced even his loudest screams. 

And scream he did, when the injections began. 

Than made some sort of comment about having to start almost from scratch as he filled a syringe of a nasty green liquid. Keith could do nothing as said liquid was injected into him, and for a moment, nothing happened. 

Then it tore through his veins, leaving trails of fire behind, and his back arched, silenced screams ripping from his throat before his vision whited out. 

He started to drift back a few times, only to hit pain, and fall away again.

* * *

When Keith eventually woke, his entire body was throbbing, and his skin felt incredibly itchy. 

"It seems to have reacted well to the first tests," someone noted. 

"Indeed." Than's ugly face came into Keith's blurry vision. "It's gaining consciousness, too. Time to move onto the next stage."

"Which one?" 

"The ears, I think. Make them very large."

Keith somehow found the strength to shake his head, because no, he did not want them to do anything else to him. He _wasn't a lab rat-!_

_But they're treating me like one, like an experiment._

"Hush now," Than soothed, "Once we reach our final stages, you won't remember a thing of this. Soon, you'll be as fixed and perfect as the little pet I showed you earlier."

 _No no no_!

Keith wanted to resist, to fight, but this wasn't a battle he can win. He was tied down, helpless, could do nothing as a needle pressed into his neck, sending agony tearing through him again. 

* * *

Somehow, he woke up again, and felt even more wrong.

His skin was still itchy, but his hearing was what felt the most different. His ears stung, yet everything sounded clearer.

He could hear Than's breathing, could hear chemicals bubbling, could even hear what sounded like little animals snuffling and scratching.

It was unnerving, to say the least. 

"It's awake again!" someone exclaimed, and Keith winced because their voice was too loud! 

"Amazing. It seems to be recovering quicker than average. Its other genes must make it more resilient," Than commented, his voice booming.

Keith shrank back against the table, wanting to clamp his hands over his ears, but he still couldn't move them. 

"What do you want to do next, sir? The eyes?" 

"Hmm, no. I rather like its eyes, they're unique. If only it would open them for me."

Fingers brushed over Keith's cheeks, and he did, in fact, open his eyes.

He did not want them to do anything to his eyes or his vision, the very thought terrified him. 

"Oh, look, it's learning to behave." Than had an expression of victory, and Keith looked away, too exhausted and scared to try anything.

He wasn't giving up. Just...whilst he was on the operating table...there wasn't anything he could do to fight, so what was the point in trying? 

"I think we should advance to stage four," Than said then, "I'm curious to see how he..reacts to it. Prepare him."

To Keith's surprise, the cuffs around his wrists and ankles released, but before he could move to attack, other machines were there, holding his hands down palms-up, fingers splayed wide, a small injection rendering that area entirely numb. It felt like a similar process happened with his feet, but Keith couldn't move his head enough to see them.

He watched in both fascination and horror as one of Than's alien assistants brought over what seemed to be a thin slab of meat, at first. The alien took measurements across his palms and of his fingertips, marking the skin with a pen-like tool, before another approached his left hand with a thin knife.

Keith couldn't tear his eyes from the sight of his own skin being peeled off.

It was bloody work, and he knew it should hurt like hell but the numbing agent seemed to be doing its job fine. He waw observing with a detached outlook because it just didn't feel or look like his hand, his palm being peeled off and torn to pieces.

Than himself took the pink slab of meat or flesh, cut it to a certain shape, then laid it over the new hole on Keith's palm. Somehow, it fit perfectly.

Than pulled another machine over, a robotic arm with many thin tools and needles, and the machine whirred, beginning to attach thr the slab to Keith's hand. 

Now he tore his gaze away, panic building in his chest because oh gosh that was his hand and they were doing some sort of surgery or transplant or something that was going to ruin him and he wants out _please please please -_

Keith thrashed in his bonds, a stronger desperation and fear charging through him. 

"Stay still!" Than commanded.

Keith disobeyed. 

"Sir! Shall I get the sedative?"

"Yes. It seems it has not fully learnt its place...but we can fix that." Than leered over him and Keith yelled into the muzzle, struggling as much as he could.

The alien simply stabbed a syringe into his arm and he was forced into the darkness. 

* * *

When Keith woke again, slowly, painfully, he was only aware of the agony in his hands and feet, so strong that it blurred his vision entirely.

"It survived."

"Good. Any sign of infection?" 

"No. The changes have taken hold nicely."

"Good," Than said again, "Now, I think it's time to introduce it to its new home, yes?"

Keith was picked up like he didn't weigh a thing, and carried into another room. He wanted to struggle, to fight, but the pain was overwhelming, and he could do nothing as Than shoved him into a small cage and locked it. 

"I'll be back for you soon," his captor whispered, laughing as he walked away, leaving Keith alone.

Now Keith sits curled up as tight as he can manage, _fear fear fear_ thrumming through his veins. It takes him quite a few minutes before he can work through the pain and terror and start to take check of his surroundings. He's in a cage, and there are many other cages either side of him, each holding a poor unfortunate creature, that looks partly galran but acts like a trained animal. Some have large ears, some have tails, some still have arms and legs, others have been modified to just have four legs and feet. 

There are just two doors leading in and out of the room; one leads back to the lab, and the other Keith doubts goes anywhere nicer.

His observations of the room complete, he reluctantly turns his attention to himself. 

And almost screams. 

For starters, he's almost completely naked, only wearing a thin pair of white shorts that someone clearly changed him into, and that thought alone makes him sick. 

But his eyes trace down to the skin below and he's horrified to see that it's purple. 

His whole body trembles, and Keith shakily lifts his arm, taking a closer look at what he now sees is a layer of purple fuzz - of fur - ontop of his still-pale, but mostly hidden, skin. 

Then he turns his hand over, and nausea churns faster. 

Across the palm of his hand is a large, slightly protruding pink piece of - skin, muscle, he's not sure - and the tips of all his fingers and thumb have circular pads on them too, covering the area where his fingerprints come from. 

It...it looks like the pads on cat's feet. 

His other hand is the same, and he looks at his feet, too, noting that a similar thing has happened on the soles and his toes.

 _I have toe beans_ , he thinks hysterically.

He twists then, checking that he has no tail thank the universe, but his ears feel so wrong so he reaches up with his ruined hands and touches them. 

Two things happen at once. 

First, Keith screams into the muzzle as the feeling of something against his- his _pads_ is far too sensitive and it _hurts_ -

And at the same time, he notes that his ears are too big, too large, too fluffy, and he doesn't need a mirror to know what they look like.

He has kitty ears, like so many others in the cages around him. 

Than is turning him into one of _them_.

Keith panics even more because he didn't want this, they've messed with his body and he doesn't know if it can be fixed, doesn't know if he will even be able to walk or hold things his hands and feet are so agonised, doubts that the paladins are coming and even if they do will they recognise him...?

Keith takes in as deep a breath as the muzzle will allow, because he can't lose. He has to stay strong, has to recovery from the surgeries, has to figure out a way to get himself out of this situation.

He is a fighter and he will _not_ let Than control him.

* * *

Keith's resolve is all well and good, but there are some things he has to compromise. He notices that the other cages are attended to by Than's alien assistants, but the man himself is the only one who comes near Keith's cage.

Except, he leaves Keith there for what the half-galra reckons to be two days, clearly trying to make him weaker by withholding food and water. 

Well, Keith's starved before. It weakens him, yes, but he won't give up that easily. 

When Than eventually comes, he reaches into the cage, a collar in his grip. Keith swipes at him, but the motion aggravates his hands still, and Than fastens the collar tightly around Keith's neck. Then, to Keith's humiliation, he secures a leash and tugs on it, forcing Keith out of the cage on his knees. Keith struggles to remain upright, unable to use his feet or his hands to move, but Than shoves him forwards, forcing him to put his hands out to save his head from smacking into the ground. Keith hisses as the sensitive pads scream at him, but he can push through this, he has to.

"Come on, little one. Crawl a little further, and I will reward you."

Keith sits back, glaring at Than as he shifts to take his weight off his hands. 

Than scowls and pulls harshly, dragging Keith by the collar instead, until they reach the centre of the room of cages. Then, Than secures the leash to a ring in the ground, and removes the muzzle.

Keith gasps in long, welcome breaths, taking a minute to steady his breathing, before he's glaring at Than again. 

"Can't have you wasting away now, can I?"

Than motions and an assistant gives him a bowl of water, which he places in front of Keith, smirking. 

Keith glares at it.

"Don't make me force you," Than warns. 

Keith is absolutely _not_ going to drink from a bowl like a _damn animal_. 

Than's eyes narrow and he grabs Keith's head, forcing him down until his face is in the water. Keith thrashes, trying to get the man to let him go, but Than is so much stronger.

"Drink," the man commands, and the water is filling Keith's mouth regardless, in such a rate that he struggles to swallow and just ends up coughing. Than pulls his head up again, and roughly wipes the water from his face as Keith coughs it out of his lungs.

"You don't need to make it so hard," Than scolds, "Will you make me feed you, too?" 

He holds out his hand, pieces of something that seems like food there in his palm, and Keith sickens as he realises what Than wants. 

He does have to eat, though, to regain his strength, and being force-fed is not an option he wants...

Swallowing his pride, Keith leans forward and takes a piece of the food from Than's hand, picking it up with his tongue, and eats it quickly. He takes the others in the same manner, not wanting to think about how _degrading_ the whole situation is.

"Very good," Than praises, "It's learning."

"I'm not an _it_!" Keith snaps, his voice a little hoarse.

Than's expression darkens. "Maybe _it_ has not learnt, then." He clamps the muzzle on Keith's face then drags him back to the cage, removing the leash but leaving the collar on. Keith swipes at him but his hand connects with the bars as the door is slammed shut, and tears spring to his eyes at the pain in the pads.

 _This is ridiculous,_ he fumes _, even if I get out of this, will I ever be able to properly use my hands again?_

_No. I can't think like that. I **have** to stay strong... I **will** get out._

* * *

A week passes, and Keith is no closer to his escape.

Than has started up a routine, taking Keith from the cage twice a day to give him food and water, and on one of those times he'll shove Keith in a corner, force his shorts down, and order him to relieve himself. The first time that happens Keith point blank refuses. But the next time, the pain in his groin is rising and he tosses away more of his dignity because he has to go.

He hates how helpless Than makes him feel, hates that the man is so much stronger it's impossible to resist him, hates that he can do nothing as he's dragged around and manhandled.

Than doesn't pay attention to the other captives, but Keith thinks that's because they've already broken. He hasn't. Not yet.

It's all degrading and humiliating but he's starting to dissociate, not putting thought into the way he drinks from a bowl or licks food off Than's hand or has to piss in what is basically a litter tray. 

Fighting didn't work, so he's going to trick Than into thinking he's obedient, hoping the man will let his guard down. 

So when Than takes him out again, he crawls along with his head bowed, the pain in his hands lesser now the pads are starting to get used to it. After drinking and eating in what he opens is a docile manner, Than lets out a cry of delight. 

"It's truly behaving! I expected it to take much longer, but clearly, it is weak." His hands run through Keith's hair, brushing against the sensitive bases of Keith's ears, but Keith suppresses the shudder. 

_Now take the muzzle off, or the collar, step back let me go..._

But Than is not a fool. 

"I think it is time for another change. Come, now," he commands, tugging on the leash as he walks towards the lab door. 

Keith's ears pins back on instinct and he stiffens, forgetting his plan to obey. Than turns and looks down at him, smirking. 

"Ah, there is its fire. I thought it hadn't fully submitted, and I was right. Still, we shall proceed."

 _No_! Keith tugs, trying to pull the leash from Than's grip, and shifts his weight, trying to stand on his feet. 

Big mistake.

Agony seers through the soles of his feet, through the hell-damned pads that aren't yet used to his weight, and he falls, curling up as he struggles to breathe through the pain. 

Than just laughs and drags him into the lab. 

This time, Keith is secured on his stomach, his hands and feet chained down, another metal band securing his waist down to the table. He shivers as the aliens remove his shorts, leaving him completely naked, and closes his eyes, already preparing to distance himself. 

Something is injected at the base of his spine, and he can feel the skin tear, something pushing through with blazing agony. He screams into the muzzle, unable to move due to the heavy restraints, and tears stream down his face, falling heavily on the ground. Keith stares at the floor through his blurred vision, watching tears mix with the blood he can feel running from his back down to the ground. 

He only lasts for seven minutes before he's unconscious once more. 

* * *

Keith wakes in the cage, completely naked, his body curled up and shivering. Something soft rests against his leg, and he sneaks a look before he sobs.

They've given him a tail, now. 

Than stands outside the cage, grinning down at him. "I warned you, little one. But I do think you look so much better, now. Very cute, like a little pet. You just need to learn how to behave like one, now."

Keith shakes his head, trying to curl up even more to hide himself, but his tailbone feels raw and painful still.

"None of that. Come on, you need to be cleaned."

Than opens the cage and reaches for him, and Keith slowly, reluctantly, crawls out, not wanting the man to touch him more than necessary. Than leads him through the other door, into a small room that has one wall lined with showers. Unfortunately, Than takes him over there, and Keith closes his eyes as the water runs down him, the pressure high and stinging his skin. Once satisfied, Than quickly dries him with a towel, then takes him through yet another door. 

"Behave, now," he hisses, before bringing Keith forwards. 

At first the lights are blinding, and Keith blinks rapidly, having no choice but to crawl beside Than, the leash still in the man's hands. Then Than stops, and Keith finally catches a glimpse of where they are.

It's...some sort of arena. 

There are easily hundreds of seats surrounding them, and all are full, their eyes locked on the brightly lit centre, where Keith is kneeling, naked, at Than's feet.

His face heats up and he looks away, trying to hide himself, his new tail swishing in agitation. 

"Greetings, my friends," Than says loudly, "I am happy to see so many of you. And our special guests, the Paladins of Voltron!" 

_What?_

Keith raises his head, scanning the crowd, and finally catches sight of the familiar uniform. 

_They...they're here! They came for me-!_

"Now, as you all know, the galra are conquerors, taking what isn't theirs and ruling over all that moves. But no more! I am here to show you that we can be the conquerors, and the galra can be turned into our slaves and pets!"

Keith's ears pin back as the crowd roars their approval. 

"See this pitiful creature?"

Than kicks Keith's side, and he whimpers into the muzzle.

"It was a ferocious warrior a fortnight ago, attacked and killed three of my friends."

_What? No I didn't-_

"But now, look at it. Strip away the armour, treat it like an animal, and it submits very nicely. Watch."

Than leans down and strokes Keith's ears, pressing hard at their base, and Keith immediately falls limp. 

The audience roars again. 

"I have many more little creatures, but this one is my newest," Than declares proudly, "The others are up for sale-"

"How much for that one?" a familiar voice yells. 

... _Allura?_

Than stiffens. "It is not currently for sale."

"Oh come on, everything has a price," Allura presses, "How much?"

"Hmm, so you paladins want a galran pet, do you?" Than starts to jeer. 

"How much?"

"Ten thousand GAC," Than proposes, and Keith winces, because there's no way the Coalition have that money to spare, they need all the GAC and resources they can get and he's just _not worth it-_

"Done," Allura says. 

_What?_

The crowd cheer, and Than gives the order for the others to be brought forth, as Allura makes her way onto the stage, giving Than a credit chip in exchange for Keith's lead. Keith is almost in a state of disbelief, and hurries to crawl alongside the princess as she takes him away from there. 

Once safely far from Than, the other paladins gather, and Lance wraps a blanket around Keith's waist and Pidge sets to work removing the muzzle and collar. Not two minutes later, Keith gasps in air, tears stinging his eyes. 

"You came," he rasps. 

"Of course, mullet," Lance retorts, but his eyes are soft. 

"How did you recognise me?" Keith asks. 

"Like I said. The mullet," Lance grins. 

Keith isn't entirely convinced by that, but soon Shiro picks him up, and carries him onto the waiting Blue Lion, to then head back to the Castle.

Back _home_. 

* * *

The pod hisses as it opens, and Keith tumbles out, Shiro barely catching him. He hisses as weight is put on his feet, but it's much less painful than before.

"Steady," Shiro says. 

Keith blinks. "I...what happened?" 

"We rescued you from some creepy scientist," Pidge starts to explain.

"N-no, why...the pod?"

"Oh, Allura suggested it, because you were injured, and she didn't know if things could be reversed," Hunk answers. 

Keith looks down at his purple-furred arms and sees the pink pads on his hands. "They can't," he whispers. 

Hunk nods sadly.

Keith breathes shakily, and lets Shiro help him to the couch, where he immediately curls up, glad of the cyrosuit for giving him more covering than he's had in the fortnight he was captured. 

_Shit, it was a fortnight_. 

Keith's shaking, and then he's crying, curling up as the _wrong_ tail brushes against his _wrong_ feet and his _wrong_ skin and it's all _wrong wrong wrong-_

Arms encircle him, and he turns into the warm chest, sobbing. 

"Shh, Keith. You're okay, you're safe now," Shiro soothes. 

"I-I'm wrong," Keith cries, then yelps as someone punches his shoulder. 

"None of that, mister! Just cause you're all purple and fluffy now doesn't mean that you're a different person. Keith, we still love you," Pidge says. 

"Exactly. We missed you, mullet. And if the changes mean you can't go back to the Blades then I'm happy with that," Lance smiles, "We... I just want you back here, with us. I don't care what you look like, if you have cat ears and tail and toe beans now, it really doesn't matter-" 

"Toe beans?" Hunk squeaks.

"Galra are literally space cats!" Pidge adds. 

And despite everything, Keith laughs.

Allura catches his eye from across the room, and he smiles at her, conveying his silent thanks. 

Because they...the paladins...his _family_...they came for him. He knows he's not going to be okay, not yet, not with all the forced changes and the trauma that's dancing in his mind.

But he can do this. 

He's a fighter...and he's not alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
